The Fall
by Fahrenheit451154
Summary: With the Crystal Empire at the peak of it's power, a darkness rises, looming over it, threatening to destroy all peace and harmony. With the end eminent, will Amethyst be able to save the Empire, or will all of Equestria serve an evil king?


**The Fall**

_By Ryan Heller_

_**Chapter 1**_

The Palace of Crystal, with Prince Crystal Crown standing between it and her, was absolutely incredible! Everything she could have ever wanted shimmering and sparkling like a dewdrop on the grass right in front of her beautiful pink eyes, which were matched by the streaks of pink within her glorious, amethyst-purple mane.

"Amethyst Shards! Get your flank up and working!" Onyx Shroud's voice was screeching.

Having been painfully snatched out of the same dream yet again, Amethyst sighed. It had been 60 moons since her sisters were killed and her mother disappeared. She'd come home and found Pewor Diamond and Rubied Obsidian with shards of Dark Crystal stabbed through them. Her mother, Crystal Heart, was never found. Seeing as nopony was known to use dark magic, nopony was ever proven guilty. After a week without getting anywhere, the case went cold. Amethyst swore she'd find the pony who did it, but, for now, she was stuck with her stepfather.

She was snapped violently back to reality as Onyx suddenly burst into the room.

"Why the hay are you just standing there? Get to work!" He bucked a broom at her and left.

Casting a simple levitation spell with her horn, the crystal unicorn picked up her broom and went to the kitchen. She was always grateful to sweep. It allowed her to clear her mind and think.

_Dear Celestia, Somber! Just shut up..._

Somber. That's what everypony called Onyx. Unless they had a Stirrupean accent; then it was Sombre. They say it was because of his name, but Amethyst used it more for his attitude.

As she completed her task of sweeping, the food she'd started for Onyx finished. She served it and took it to him.

"Hmm..." said Onyx, taking a bite. "At least you do something right, you worthless little..."

_WHAM! WHAM!_

His voice trailed at the sound of hooves hitting the door.

"Go answer it," he demanded, not looking up from the morning's copy of _The Daily Shimmer_ he was reading.

She opened the door to find a member of the Crystal Guard standing right outside.

_Great Celestia, _she thought. "H-hello. M-m-may I h-h-help y-you?"

"Is the stallion of the house available, miss?"

"N-no, he's eating." _Deep breaths. Come on, calm down. _"May I deliver a message?"

"Just give him this please." Placing a paper on the floor, he turned and left.

Amethyst looked at the paper. It carried the image of a crown, printed in purple, shimmering diamond-ink. The official royal seal of the Crystal Kingdom!

_This could be it! This could be my deliverance!_

She picked it up and took it to Onyx, whom opened it, and read it aloud.

"_All are hereby invited to the eighteenth birthday of Prince Crystal Crown, heir of the Crystal Empire, on the twenty-second day of the eighth moon of this year."_

_ The note from my dream! I'm finally getting out!_

"Find something nice, Amethyst. You're going."

"But, Onyx, it's tomorrow! How can I find something so quickly?"

Onyx turned to look at her. There was a fire she had never seen before. Looked almost as though he were a Dark magician.

"I don't know, and I don't care. Just bucking do it!"

"Fine..."

After four hours, Amethyst had finally found a dress and hairstyle that Onyx approved of.

The next day, they left early.

"I want to be as early as possible," Onyx had told her. "It'll give us time to greet everypony as they arrive."

The doors weren't even open when they arrived. They'd been there for an hour, just waiting.

_Why is Onyx so bent on me being here? He hates the idea of me having fun..._

Hoofsteps behind her pulled her out of her mind. Startled, she spun around, realizing Onyx was gone. She gasped as she instantly recognized the pony in front of her.

"Mind if I escort you in?"

The Palace of Crystal, with Prince Crystal Crown standing between it and her, was absolutely incredible! Everything she could have ever wanted shimmering and sparkling like a dewdrop on the grass right in front of her beautiful pink eyes, which were matched by the streaks of pink within her glorious, amethyst-purple mane.

But, this time, she didn't have to wake up. This time, her dreams were her reality.

_Don't get excited. It'll probably end very soon..._

As they entered the palace, she was amazed at how many ponies there were. And how silent they'd just become.

"What are they all looking at?" she whispered in Prince Crystal Crown's ear.

"Us. They're looking at us."

"What? But... Why?"

"Well, you see," explained the prince, "there's much more to this party than most ponies knew. See, it's not just to celebrate my birthday. It's to find my princess. I was told to stand at the entrance and wait until I found the one mare I wished to escort in. She would then be the princess."

Amethyst couldn't believe her ears! She was the princess of the Crystal Empire! It didn't have to end! It was her life!

They were married that day, and peace continued to reign throughout all of Equestria.

Little did anypony know, the Empire would soon fall. And only one pony would have the power to save it.


End file.
